Vehicle occupant protection apparatus and startup method of same

Abstract

An apparatus for protecting occupants when a vehicle having an openable and closeable roof overturns, which apparatus includes an occupant rollover protection member that supports a vehicle frame when the vehicle overturns, and first buffering members that buffer the occupants. A first buffering member control unit controls the deployment of the first buffering members on the basis of information from a vehicle state detection mechanism that detects the behavior of the vehicle.

1 . A startup method for a vehicle occupant protection apparatus for protecting an occupant by detecting the behavior of a vehicle in which at least part of the roof can be opened and closed, and controlling a buffering member that buffers the occupant when the vehicle is overturning; wherein
 the buffering member is disposed in an occupant rollover protection member that supports a frame of the vehicle;   collisions, overturning, and other such behavior of the vehicle are detected by a vehicle state detection mechanism attached to the vehicle frame;   an occupant roll protection member startup control unit determines whether or not overturn information from the vehicle state detection mechanism exceeds a specific value;   startup signals are output in cases in which the overturn information exceeds the specific value;   first drive force generating means that moves the occupant rollover protection member from a storage position to a support position are controlled based on the startup signals; and   second drive force generating means of a buffer mechanism that deploys the buffering member into a deployed position are controlled based on the startup signals.   
   
   
       2 . The startup method of the vehicle occupant protection apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the startup signals are composed of a first startup signal that is output to the first drive force generating means, and a second startup signal that is output to the second drive force generating means; and   the startup signals separately control the occupant rollover protection member and the buffering member.   
   
   
       3 . The startup method of the vehicle occupant protection apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the startup signals provide a specific time difference between the start of output of the first startup signal and the start of output of the second startup signal.